Uniform-loaf-making machine



Aug. 7, 1926 1,679,667

W. H. KEENAN UNIFORM LOAF MAKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 71 71, like/Z4 Aug. 7, 1928.

W. H. KEENAN UNIFORM LOAF MAKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11,1926 Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

TUNITED STATES {PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H; KEENAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

IUNIFOBVM-LOAF-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed January 11, 1926. Serial No. 80,461.

This invention relates to loaf making machines and has for its object toproduce an automatic machine for the thorough and uniform development orbreaking of and forth by hand, through a dough break.

A further object is to produce a machine of the character describedwhich will doliver a completely kneaded and molded loaf ready for thebaking pan.

A still further object is to produce a machine of the character outlinedwhich is of .strong, durable, efiicient, compact, and inexpensiveconstruction, and has no complicated or. intricate parts requiringconstant attention to keep them in normal working.

order; and in orderthat the invention may be fully understood, referenceis to be had tothe accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a machine embodying the invention.

Figure 2 isa front elevation of the same. Figure 3 is a top plan View. IFigure 1 is a section on theline IV IV of Figure 2. p I j Figure 5 is abroken sectional View to illustrate the apparatus for balling or rollingthe dough preliminary to its delivery to certain conveyor belts forminga part of the machine.

VIVI of Figure 4. j

Figure 7 Is an enlarged sectional View through a pair of the developingor breakcross bar construction 2, and projecting forward-1y from therear uprights of each of the frames -1, are two pairs of brackets 3 and4.

Rotatably mounted between each pair of.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on theline ing rollers to illustrate aconvenient method apartin parallel relation by a horizontal bracketsrespectively, and extending transversely of the maclnne, are fixedcompression 7 rollers 5 and 6 (see Figure 4), each of said rollersbeingrespectively adapted to work in con 'unct1on wlth companion compressionrollers 7 v and 8 journaled at their opposite ends in similar slideblocks 9 travelling in guides formed by the bifurcated ends 10 of thebrackets 3 and 4. Said blocks maybe adJusted forwardly or rearwardly tovary the distance between the rollersby means of bolts 11 engagingthreaded straps or plates 12 secured to the ends of the brackets, asshown most clearly in Figure 7.

' A third pair of compressionrollers 13 and 14 are rot-atably mountedbetween the rear 'uprightsof the frames 1, the rollers 13 beingadjustably'mounted to varyits distance from the rollers 14in a mannersimilar in all respects to that described in connection with the rollers5-7 and 6 8, that is by a'bolt corresponding ends project through theframe-work of the machine and the projectmg ends of each are providedwith a toothed driving gear 15 (see Figure 1).

Journaled at its opposite ends in the side frames 1 at the front end ofthe machine and near the floor is a transverse shaft 16, pro ect1ng atone end through the side frame of the machine and equipped at saidendwith a driving belt pulley 17; The said shaft 1s provided within theframe-work with a pair of spacedpulleys 18 and 19, for respeetlvedriving engagement with a pair of 1ncl1ned endless belts 20 and 21,equipped with suitable forks or grapples 21 for clevating the dough, aswill hereinafter appear. The belts respectively encircle pulleys 22 and23 keyed on atransve r se shaft 24 carried by the upper part of theframework the side frames of the machine.

a keyed pulley 29 (see Figure encircled by a molding belt 30 which alsoencircles at its front or opposite end a pulley 31 journaled on atransverse enaft mounted in A second belt respectively encirclingpulleys ill and carried by the side frames, the pulley 34; beingjournaled on a stub shaft 3d and the pulley 35 on a transverse shaft 35,overlies said first belt 30. -The dough, as will hereinafter appear,adapted to pass between said belts 30 and 33, which are diffcrentiallydriven to effect the rolling or molding of the dough into cylindricalform and the discharging of the same onto a receiving table 36 securedto the front end of the machine. The pulley 23 lof the top molding beltis equipped with a gear 37 outside the fran'ie of the machine and inalinement with the gears 15 of the compres sion rollers.

The drive shaft 26 projects through the machine and is equipped at itsend with a driving gear 38. The gears 38, 3 1, and 15 of the compressionrollers, are encircled by a driving sprocket chain 39 heldL in propertension by mean-s of any suitable adjustable idler 40. It will beevident that upon the application of power to rotate the shaft 26, thecompression rollers and the molding belts will be constantly driven intimed re lation, and that the elevating belts will also be operatedthrough the crossed-belt 28 in timed relation with the other parts ofthe machine.

In the operation of the machine, dough which has been passed through adivider and thereby separated into units and then rolled into cylindrcal form, each being just sufficient to form a complete loaf of bread,is fed into a chute 41 carried by the frontof the machine in line withthe belt 20, and equipped at its bottom with a fork 42 to hold the doughuntil a grapple 21 on toe belt 20 picks up the leaf from the fork andelevate-s came to the top of the machine.

The loaf units are thus automatically picked up by subsequent grapples,carried to the top of the machine and discharged into an inclined chuted8 (see Figure t), having a stop board a l at its lower end to preventaccidental dislodgeinent of the dough from the chute. The lower end ofthe chute is adjacent the first pair of rollers 5 and 7, and thecylindrical roll of dough will fall by gravity between said rollers andwill pass therebetween as the rollers rotate toward each other, and bethus flattened out into a sheet.

For the proper development or breaking" of the dough, it is desirableafter each sheeting operation, to roll thedough into cylin drical form.The dougli thus discharged from the first pair of rollers is received byan inclined chute45 (see Figure ,equipped at any suitable point in itslength with suitable retarding means constituting a baller, which isillustrated as comprising a sheet of canvas 4E6 normally suspended froma cross bar f? carried by the sides of the chute 45 and provided at itslower end with a weight as. The canves by coming into frictionalengagement with the sheeted dough will effect the rolling or balling ofsaid dough into cylindrical form as illustrated at D in Figure 4.

The lower end of the chute l5 discharges the rolled dough between thesecond pair of rollers 13 and 14, from whence it passes into anotherchute 49 equipped with a baller 50, corresponding to the baller 46. Thechute d9 delivers the balled dough to the third pair of rollers 6 and 8.The rollers 6 and 8 discharge the dough into a short inclined chute 51equipped with a suitable baller 52 which maybe similar to the otherballers as shown, or. may be spring-actuated if desirech'and the doughis thereby discharged onto a horizontal endless conveyor belt 53encircling at its opposite ends pulleys 54 and 55, respectively keyed onthe transverse drive shaft 26 and journaled on the transverse shaft 82of the molding belt pulley 31. In this connection, it is to beunderstood, that if found desirable, the conveyor belt 53, may travel ina suitable trough and be equipped with auxiliary balling means to insurethe balling or rolling of the dough before it is discharged by saidbelt.

The conveyor belt 53 conveys each piece of dough to the front of themachine and discharges it into a downwardly inclined chute 5G equippedat its lower end with a fork 57 corresponding to the fork 42 of thechute ll, from whence it is elevated by the grapple-s 21 of the belt 21.The belt 21 discharges the dough into a chute 58, by which it is againdelivered to the first set of rollers 5 and'Z. The dough then followsthrough the same process as above described, it being apparent that thedough may be thus fed through any desired number of rollers, eachoperation being a more repetition of that first described.

The lowermost pair of rollers 6 and 8 finally discharge the dough into ashort chute 59 equipped with a suitable baller 60, sii'nilar to theballer 52, if desired, and said chute delivers the dough to thetraveling molding belt 30 by which it is carried under the molding belt33. The molder finally discharges the dough in the shape of a cylinderonto the table 36 ready for the baking pan.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have produced amachine of the character described which possesses all of the feat-uresof advantage set forth as desirable, and while I have described andclaimed the preferred embodiment of-the'ia vention, I reserve the rightto make all changes properly falling Within the spirit and scope of theappended claim.

I claim In a dough Working machine, a framework, a plurality of drivenpressure rollers arranged inhorizontally staggered vertical columns,every other pair of rollers being in vertical alinement, chutesconnectmg each the dough from the last pair of compression rollers.

In Witness whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WILLIAM H. KEENAN.

